Emmerdale's Belle King ends abusive marriage - but Tom spies on her

Following Belle's sudden departure from their vacation cottage in Wales, the plot continued with a skeptical Cain and Charity Dingle arriving to discover the unsettling condition of the place.

Tom appeared and clarified that Belle had left him. He claimed that the blood they had seen was his own and refuted Charity's claims that he had harmed Belle.

He later disclosed that Belle had ended her pregnancy in secret, supporting his distorted story that his wife was unwell by saying she had concealed all her medication.

After persuading Cain and Charity that he was only trying to protect Belle due to her fragile mental state, Tom watched as Belle showed up at Lydia Dingle's house looking subdued. Belle explained that she had to escape from Tom.

When Lydia brought her some toast, Belle couldn't bring herself to eat it, still haunted by the memories of Tom making her eat toast at the cottage.

Lydia phoned Charity to let her know Belle's location, with Tom still playing the part of a caring husband. Afterwards, they all returned to the village together.

Lydia tried to figure out what was bothering Belle, but Belle wasn't ready to share her experiences of mistreatment.

Upon Cain and Charity's arrival, it was evident that they trusted Tom's account of the situation. Despite Belle's efforts to clarify Tom's character, Cain and Charity remained focused on her psychological well-being.

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Even though Charity was rightfully worried about Tom's actions, she unexpectedly, and maybe a bit unrealistically, shifted her perspective.

Belle hurried back to her house where she lived with her husband to gather some belongings. Once there, she discovered her phone and uninstalled the tracking app that Tom had installed.

Prior to her departure, she encountered Tom again and expressed her fear of him directly. Tom then proceeded to lock the door, coercing Belle to act pleasant as he shifted the blame onto her for their issues and falsely claimed that the Dingles had betrayed her.

When Tom forced a kiss on her, Belle felt repulsed and the idea of being intimate with him and having another child made her realize she needed to end the marriage.

Belle warned that she would unleash Cain on Tom if he prevented her from leaving. In response, Tom unlocked the door and smugly remarked that he was confident Belle would eventually return to him.

Belle was firm in her decision not to get back together with Tom. She went back to Lydia and informed her family that she and Tom had broken up.

Outdoors, Belle found solace in talking to her deceased mother Lisa (played by Jane Cox) and removed her wedding ring. However, with Tom keeping a close eye on her, will Belle ever be able to break free from him?

Emmerdale is collaborating with Refuge and New Beginnings Peer Support for the Tom and Belle storyline. If you need help, you can reach out to Refuge's 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline at 0808 2000 247 for free and confidential support. You can also receive digital support through live chat on nationaldahelpline.org.uk from Monday to Friday between 3pm and 10pm.

Watch Emmerdale on ITV1 every weekday at 7:30pm. You can also catch it on ITVX.

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